What policy changes are essential to prevent elder abuse?

Choice and control in service provision is vital. Other than prisons, aged care in Australia is the only other area where we have maintained the institutional model. And as we know from multiple royal commissions, institutions are rife for abuse by staff. The use of restrictive practices is also vital to be re-looked at. They have become a tool for poor staffing (i.e. chemically restraining aged care residents so that there can be lower staff to resident ratios). We need to completely up-end and re-look at the way we provide aged care. It makes no sense to me that McDonalds will engage in deep consumer experience testing for how we order a hamburger, yet I see little or no evidence of us testing models of care with older people

I experienced elder abuse when my 96 yo mother was sedated and strapped to her bed by hospital staff when she tried to go home a few hours after family members had left the hospital. The hospital staff didn’t attempt to contact the family. As per the medical records, no other strategies were attempted. They left her strapped to the bed for hours. We only learned of the incident the next day when we saw the straps. This happened two years ago. It is still painful to recall. My mother remembers the incident. She stated that in that moment she had resigned herself to the thought that she was going to die. In fact, she was more explicit. She said she thought she was going to be lynched.

Imagine a world where our elders are treated with the dignity they deserve. 🌍👵 As a clinical director with years of experience in elder care, I believe policy changes are crucial in preventing elder abuse. Here's what I've learned: First, we need stringent mandatory reporting laws for suspected abuse. This would involve training professionals to identify signs of abuse and making reporting compulsory. I've seen how early detection can save lives. 🚨👁️

1.Strengthen and enforce laws specifically addressing elder abuse. This includes criminalizing abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older adults. 2.Establish standardized protocols for investigating and responding to reports of elder abuse, involving law enforcement, social services, and healthcare professionals.

Some research I conducted in 2017 showed that ageism, i.e. ostentatious, although often unconscious reluctance towards older people, which is often the basis for depreciating, aggressive behavior, ostracism or other forms of abuse, is strongly correlated with anxiety before death and the level of empathy. Therefore, reliable education is needed from an early age so that death is not a taboo, but something that can be dignified and peaceful, and also to teach what the world looks like through the eyes of an older person. Education, social campaigns,including those addressed to and reaching older people (i.e. shown in the media they use, giving them encouragement to report violence and instructions on how to do it) - this is what we need.

O acesso às Defensorias Públicas, Promotoria de Justiça do Idoso (Ministério Público) e também aos diferentes programas específicos do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) deve ser continuadamente divulgado em todos os municípios do Brasil. É evidente que existam desigualdades quando os territórios entre os Estados e Municípios do nosso País são comparados, ainda mais quando tange a disponibilidade de unidades e equipes para acompanhamento à população idosa. Porém, como ainda existe desigualdades na oferta de atenção às diferentes situações vivenciadas pelos idosos, se faz urgente que os gestores municipais e estaduais ampliem a capacidade de atendimento dos atores do Sistema de Garantia de Direitos em cada cidade, inclusive do Poder Judiciário.

As atuações fiscalizatória e consultiva dos Conselhos Regionais de Classe, como o de Psicologia, Enfermagem, etc., são imprescindíveis para o acompanhamento das situações que envolvem idosos institucionalizados ou em violações de direitos. Se faz necessária a proximidade dos representantes dos respectivos Conselhos em alinhamento com os Conselho Municipais, principalmente para identificar os pontos que precisam de aprimoramento e encaminhamento ao Poder Público local. Pois, conforme o Art. 9º da Lei Federal nº 10.741/03 (Estatuto do Idoso), é obrigação do Estado garantir à pessoa idosa a proteção à vida e à saúde, mediante efetivação de políticas sociais públicas que permitam um envelhecimento saudável e em condições de dignidade.

Personally, I had family members that were on the list to not be allowed to visit my mother who is now deceased. Somehow they got in, but a nurse did call me and I had them removed. I had a legal power of attorney over my mother who had dementia. These people have tried to steal her things and have stolen things from other relatives. This was shortly after Covid, and the nursing home did not instill the appropriate and required restrictions, where it is documented certain people cannot have access. Somehow people should have documentation on them like a wristband because it is too easy for people to come into these places.

Além do aprimoramento e aplicação das politicas públicas voltadas aos idosos, é relevante que o Poder Público crie programas de convivência intergeracional em localidades estratégicas de cada território, como as executadas nos Centros Dia. Além disso, favorecer a educação continuada dos idosos, como as ofertadas pelas UNATI's- Universidade Aberta à Terceira Idade, possibilita que as pessoas consigam acessar conteúdos importantes para a saúde física e mental dos participantes. Existem muitas possibilidades efetivas para tanto, mas a chave para garantir os direitos de convivência aos idosos está principalmente no cumprimento das legislações por parte dos gestores municipais, como prefeitos e secretários de Assistência Social, Saúde e etc.

To help communities and professionals respond to the growing awareness of elder abuse, we don’t need to reinvent process. One of the great and already established collaborative models is the child advocacy center (CAC) movement. With over 40 years of multidisciplinary expertise, CACs have the necessary framework and partnerships to build success: deep relationships with law enforcement, local social services, prosecution & health providers. CACs possess the necessary forensic training to conduct high quality informative interviews of a fragile population and its caregiver. I encourage us in this field to think different and smarter and to use the tools and skills currently in reach to provide justice now. DM if you want to learn more

Je pense qu’inclure la question de la maltraitante des aînés dans l’éducation nationale (scolaire), serait un acte politique d’un impact important. Cela serait un moyen plus efficace d’éveiller les sensibilités populaires plus tôt et de manière irréversible.